HEi News

Professor Nick Talbot, Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research and Knowledge Transfer) at the University of Exeter, considers what REF2014 says about the state of research in UK higher education, and how research excellence is now measured and demonstrated.

Professor Martin Barstow, Pro Vice-Chancellor and Head of the College of Science and Engineering at the University of Leicester, welcomes commitment to science funding in the government’s new Science and Innovation Strategy, but worries that threatened across-the-board cuts could still hit science and research budgets.

The REF2014 results have been published, the numbers have been crunched and poured into league tables, and the debates over measures and funding have kicked off. HEi-know rounds up the first day's coverage and comments.

The student vote is potentially very powerful, but a new system of electoral registration threatens to reduce the voice of students in the general election to a whisper. Higher Education Policy Institute Director Nick Hillman asks whether universities should consider helping students to vote to be part of their duty of care.

The first year of the new Erasmus+ European Union programme has seen £78 million awarded to 818 UK projects, many of which support students or staff who wish to spend time studying or working overseas.

Responding to an HEi-think piece from Professor Geoffrey Alderman, Quality Assurance Agency Chief Executive Anthony McClaran denies that the QAA is secretive or an "arm of government", but argues instead that it is playing a key role in upholding standards and protecting the reputation of UK higher education worldwide.

As the Higher Education Funding Council for England puts out to tender the work carried out on its behalf by the Quality Assurance Agency, Geoffrey Alderman argues that the QAA has a questionable record on protecting academic standards. This is the first in a new series of "HEi-think" pieces from HEi-know.

The UK needs to invest more in science and developing the technical skills of its workforce if it is to catch up with its competitors on productivity, Liam Byrne, the shadow universities minister, has said.

As the higher education sector prepares for deregulation of student numbers from next year, questions have been raised over predicted future levels and patterns of growth. HEi-know looks at emerging developments and the latest analysis that may offer clues as to how institutions are likely to respond.

Universities have become more ready to admit young applicants who became less likely to apply for a place following the introduction of higher tuition fees, an analysis by the Universities and Colleges Admission Service has found.

UK universities are taking aim at a bigger share of the home and international student markets by investing billions of pounds in eye-catching new buildings and campus facilities. But as the stakes rise in this “capital arms race”, questions are being asked about how long it can be sustained. HEi-know examines where the money is going, and where it is coming from.

The Higher Education Funding Council for England has published new interactive data showing trends in student demand across all subjects. Ruth Tucker, Hefce's HE policy adviser, explains the thinking behind the exercise and explores some of the initial findings.

Months after the UK's Immigration Act received Royal Assent, concerns and uncertainty remain over many of its provisions and the impact they will have on international students and Britain's ability to attract them. HEi-know looks at the key clauses and their implications for students and the sector.

Both the UK coalition government and the Labour Party have pledged support for University Technical Colleges, with at least 50 expected to be operational in the coming years. A call for more "technical degrees" is expected to re-emerge at the forthcoming Labour Party annual conference. HEi-know looks at how they have performed so far, and the challenges they face.

A proposal to allow universities to underwrite the student loans debt of their own graduates is the latest in a quick succession of developments in the debate over the future of student finance and higher education funding. HEi-know assesses the arguments and talks to key figures about how they think policies are likely to shape up.

Universities have been invited to submit responses to a consultation on the UK government’s proposals for a new science and innovation strategy. HEi-know reviews the issues and speaks to key commentators.

Business Secretary Vince Cable has urged business leaders to get behind a campaign to encourage more UK students to spend time studying or working in China to boost their career prospects and build stronger UK-China relations.

A leading vice-chancellor has called on politicians and other VCs to support a 'new vision for funding higher education and research' and has criticised policymakers who look to the US and Australia in search of 'some higher education funding nirvana'.

The private company which brought the pre-1998 student loan book took money it was not entitled to out of accounts of more than 500 graduates and has passed students’ details to credit agencies, it has emerged.

More than 1,000 leaders in higher education, business and government attended the British Council’s annual Going Global conference in Miami from April 29 – May 1. Media FHE covered the event, providing daily conference Briefing Reports, news, and interviews with speakers. For the latest updates, check our special Going Global page .

The UK's new Immigration Minister James Brokenshire has told peers that a rise in the number of overseas science students coming to Britain would need to be balanced by a drop in other immigrant numbers – including other types of students.

The higher education sector in England was in sound financial health overall last year, but funding cuts and student recruitment will present significant challenges and risks for many institutions, a new report warns.

The government’s reforms of student funding and the introduction of higher level tuition fees has failed to put English universities on a secure financial footing, according to shadow universities minister Liam Byrne.

New primary legislation is urgently needed in higher education to regulate the market and prevent an explosion in costs and a fall in quality once student number controls are lifted, the Higher Education Policy Institute’s new director has warned.

An A Level Content Advisory Board set up by Russell Group universities has published its final guidance on the content of a new set of A-Levels in classical and modern languages, mathematics, further mathematics and geography.

The Department for Business Innovation and Skills has published the UK Government’s Science and Innovation Strategy, which sets out priorities for investment and support in science, research and innovation over the next 10 years.

The University of York is leading a new consortium of researchers who have come together to exploit fundamental laws of quantum physics for the development of secure communication technologies and services for consumer, commercial and government markets.

Academics at the University of Hull have secured approximately €450,000 (£350,000) to lead a new international collaborative project to improve the use of digital technologies in teacher education, universities and schools.

The University of Nottingham has signed a Memorandumof Understanding with the Shanghai Advanced Research Institute (SARI) whichwill allow both institutions to collaborate on research into carbon capture.

A new survey of UK students' attitudes to international students has found a high level of integration and acceptance, with 74 per cent of UK students stating they believe international students are welcomed by their peers in the UK.

The University of Leicester has announced a £10 million appeal for its new Centre for Medicine building. The new Centre is set to open in autumn 2015, and will be home to the departments of Medical and Social Care Education, Health Sciences and Psychology. The University has already pledged £32 million to the project.

The University of Sheffield's Vice-Chancellor Professor Sir Keith Burnett has announced plans to develop a "High-Value Manufacturing Valley" in the region. The development will be built along the M1 corridor, and will focus on building international business partnerships and developing new products and processes in small and medium enterprises (SMEs) as well as large infrastructure projects.

The University of Derby has appointed a new Dean of the College or Law, Humanities and Social Sciences. Sociologist Professor Malcolm Todd was previously Head of Leeds Metropolitan University's School of Social, Psychological and Communication Sciences.

Loughborough, Derby and five other East Midlands universities have formed a regional partnership with police forces, mediation services and other organisations. The new East Midlands Policing Consortium aims to strengthen links between police forces and academic institutions in the East Midlands, and to ensure research carried out across the region meets the needs of the police.

The University of Loughborough is investing £1.5 million over five years in research appointments aimed at developing new propulsion technologies for zero emission vehicles. The four appointments will be made as part of the University's Advanced Propulsion Centre (APC) - which supports the development of new supply chains for low carbon vehicles.

Many universities have improved their position in this year's Complete University Guide rankings by recruiting more teaching staff, according to the compilers of the rankings. The recruitment drive, along with falling student numbers, has meant better student staff ratios at many institutions, a key measure in the Guide's league table.

The Quality Assurance Agency has announced that it has appointed Dr Victoria Lindsay, currently a Deputy Director at the Open University, as its new Director of Quality Development, and Rowena Pelik, currently Director of Academic Strategy and Practice at Edinburgh Napier University, as Director of QAA Scotland.

Philip Nelson, a Professor of acoustics at the University of Southampton, has been appointed as the next Chief Executive and Deputy Chair of the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC).

Universities and policy-makers should support doctoral training programmes that encourage “intellectual risk-taking” and creativity so that PhD students are better prepared to enter employment, according to a new report.

English UK, the representative body for state and private sector English language schools, has announced that global marketing expert Eddie Byers, who has held director-level posts at the British Council and VisitScotland, will take over as its Chief Executive later this year.